Of Complications and Soap Operas
by Aeneid
Summary: AU. Spoilers for the Mitsuba Arc. When two people of different personalities and backgrounds meet, you know it's going to be one hell of a plot twist to make everything interesting. Oh, and ensuring that they get their happy ending, no matter how much of a troll life can be. Rating changed due to mature content. Slight HijiMitsu.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama. It belongs to Hideaki Sorachi. I only own the plot, the ideas and the gag in this fanfiction.

* * *

**Of Complications and Soap Operas**

* * *

_Chapter 1_

* * *

Okita Sougo was excited.

His older sister had sent him a letter, saying that she was going to stay in Edo indefinitely. That meant that he had to be on his best behavior, and there would be no threatening other people to die or pointing of bazookas at anyone. So far, he had managed to keep his sadistic side in check by not randomly throwing the usual threats, and was referring to himself in the polite male pronoun, which was '_boku_'. He did not want to scare his older sister with his rough ways, so he practiced as best as he could to be… polite.

This, of course, scared the whole Shinsengumi, as the first division captain didn't do 'polite'. Despite the initial shock, they knew better than to not gasp out loud when their captain did something… unusual.

Unusual, of course, ranged from saying 'thank you' to 'good morning, everyone!', something that would have shocked the uninitiated.

But they were the Shinsengumi. They were tough, and they were prepared.

And they knew better than to point out the obvious.

The only one who hadn't noticed the sudden changes in their compound was Hijikata Toushirou, who was too busy obsessing over his mayonnaise _donburi_. "So what's got Sougo's eye mask in a bunch?" he asked Kondo Isao during breakfast.

"Mitsuba-dono is staying indefinitely in Edo. She said she'll be arriving this week, and we're thinking of where she should stay." Because the Shinsengumi was an all-male compound, they knew that someone of Mitsuba-dono's beauty wasn't worthy of staying with them. "But Sougo said that she's fine staying with him."

And they didn't even want to start with the security risks. If someone had found out that she was Okita Sougo's older sister…

Hijikata looked surprise. "She's feeling better now?"

"Yes. She has completely recovered from her lung disease." Kondo said happily. "Amanto technology sure is amazing, huh, Toushi?"

The commander of the Shinsengumi missed the dark look on Hijikata's face. "… I'm not hungry anymore. Excuse me." The demonic vice-commander stood up, mayo-on-top rice bowl laid forgotten on the dining table. "I'm going out for a bit."

Clad in his _uwagi_ and _hakama_, he made his way out of the compound, ignoring a smiling Okita (who had actually greeted him a cheerful 'good morning!' by way of practicing for his sister) and went off to wander around Edo.

_This is not good._

* * *

Later that day, when Kagura had spotted a lady getting harassed by the yakuza, she had quickly rushed head-on, injuries be damned. She was a Yato, the strongest race in the universe, and the gang of yakuza was nothing but idiots who targeted ladies who were too weak to defend themselves.

Enter the female Yato, and in fifteen seconds flat, all yakuza gang members were out like a light.

"T-thank you." The dainty lady who had short, sandy brown hair smiled warmly at her. "If it wasn't for you…"

"No worries." Kagura suddenly felt conscious of what she wore, and how she acted. In hindsight, she wanted to curse at herself for not paying any attention to what _anego_ had been teaching her about 'good manners'. Her actions were rough, her speech bordering on rude at times, but she really didn't care, since she had been surrounded by mostly men.

Right now, however, was a totally different level.

The lady in front of her reeked of grace and beauty, which was usually associated with what _anego _called a _yamato nadeshiko_.

"Anyway, uh, miss, please be careful on your way." She gave a short bow to the woman before proceeding to walk back to Yorozuya.

"Please wait!" the woman grabbed her hand. "Won't you please join me for tea?"

Kagura seriously wanted to say no and spare herself the embarrassment of making a fool out of herself, but the pleading look on the woman's eyes had told her not to refuse. "S-sure. I would… love to join you, miss." It really was a struggle to speak politely.

"Great! Let's get ourselves some _dango_!"

* * *

Kagura tried hard not to look surprise when the lady had taken out a spice shaker from her kimono pouch and started seasoning her _dango_ with so much fervor that somehow, she seemed more human than some deity who had descended from the heavens.

Now that she thought about it, the lady beside her reminded her strangely of the Shinsengumi vice-captain, though his obsession was with mayonnaise.

"Thank you so much for helping me out." The woman said, taking a bite from her _dango_.

"Please, don't think about it too much." Kagura said politely, stuttering and stumbling over her words. "I just had… to do what I'm supposed to do." _And that's to kick butt when stupid yakuza members try to scare people._

"Still, I'm very grateful." She said. "If I may ask, what's your name?"

"I'm Kagura." She said, smiling at the woman. "And you are…?"

"Call me Mitsuba, please." The lady smiled once more, and after putting down her dango stick, took both of Kagura's hands. "Nice to meet you, Kagura."

Dango stick still in her mouth, she smiled at the lady and nodded, all the while telling herself not to pull her hands away from Mitsuba's. When Mitsuba had finally let go, Kagura had to remember to use a hand to remove the stick from her mouth and not wipe her mouth with the back of her hand. She remembered the first, but failed disastrously on the second, when she had used the back of her left hand. When the female Yato found Mitsuba looking at her, she nearly wanted to die of embarrassment.

Once again, she slightly regretted the fact that she ignored the basic lady training that _anego_ tried to instill on her.

But then again, why does she need training when she's surrounded by men who didn't give a damn whether she was picking her nose and flinging her boogers at people or she was acting like a girl?

And why was she turning into a nervous wreck over a lady whom she'll probably never see again?

Was her intuition telling her something…?

She shook her head inwardly. It was probably just her imagination…

Using the paper towels on the table beside her, she used it to wipe the dango sauce at the back of her left hand and threw it aside. "Where are you from, Micchan?" she asked, her trademark being a giver of nicknames for almost everyone she met.

Mitsuba tilted her head a bit before smiling. "Micchan, huh… I like it." She said before taking a deep breath. "I'm from Musashi Province, just south of Edo. How about you, Kagura-chan?"

"Oh, ummm… I don't know if you've heard but… I'm not from around here. I'm an Amanto." The younger girl said.

"Oh, Amanto…! I know about that. My brother has been mentioning such to me whenever I receive letters from him." She said happily, clapping her hands at the same time. "He mentioned that there's a lot of Amanto here in Edo."

Suddenly, Kagura became curious. "Is he an older brother?" she asked, wondering if the lady's sibling was normal unlike her own. When Mitsuba shook her head, she sighed, wondering if her sibling was just like her.

"Do you have an older brother, Kagura-chan?"

"Yeah… but he's… well, sorry, I-I don't want to talk about it." Thinking about Kamui just made her pissed, and she didn't want to feel that way right now. The subject was still a sensitive subject for her, and as much as possible, the female Yato didn't want to be reminded of that violent jerk.

"I understand." She nodded, glancing at the Amanto who visibly looked upset. "I'm sorry for bringing it up."

Kagura shook her head. "It's fine. Anyway, thank you for the dango, Micchan." She stood up, bowing at the older woman in respect. "I enjoyed it."

"You're welcome." Mitsuba said, bowing her head in reply. "I'll be staying here in Edo for some time. I hope we run to each other again."

Kagura nodded. "I hope to see you around too!" she said enthusiastically, glad that there was another female around who would be able to show her how to act like a lady.

"I'll be staying in the Shinsengumi compound for the meantime. I hope you can drop by!"

'… _Did she just say… what I think she said…?'_ "Oh! The… uh, Shinsengumi compound? Where is that?" she asked, pretending not to know where it was.

She did _not_ want to see a certain someone there right now.

Unfortunately, fate decided to be cruel to her today when Mitsuba had said, "I can show you the way."

"N-no, it's fine, really. I-I have to go and meet someone. I really hope to see you again very soon, Micchan. Bye!" before the woman could say anything, the scarlet-clad Amanto ran off to the direction of Shimura Otae's place, knowing that she needed to stay there for the meantime and think.

'_Why didn't I realize that she was sadist's older sister…! What the hell am I doing?'_ it had been very obvious that she did resemble the sadist in some way. Heck, she was an older, female version of that stupid Shinsengumi captain, minus the sadistic streak and the deadpan stare he usually had.

She wondered if Micchan knew if her brother had a sadistic side in him, and concluded that it wasn't possible. The Shinsengumi's First Division Captain was an expert in acting like a harmless soldier, but those closest to him knew who what he truly was.

'_Why did everything turn out to be this complicated?'_ she moaned to herself, angry at the sudden plot twist in her used-to-be boring life.

Now, everything was just like those stupid soap operas that aired on the television every evening.

As much as she liked Okita Mitsuba and wanted to be her friend, she knew she had to stay away from her for both their sakes.

* * *

Second fanfiction submitted to the OkiKagu fandom!

As you've guessed, this is an AU fic wherein Mitsuba didn't succumb to the disease.

You're probably confused, but for this fic's setting, let's assume that she did survive the lung disease she had because of Amanto technology. If I remember correctly, her sickness was tuberculosis. With modern day medicine, it is possible to treat tuberculosis at the earliest stage possible, and it is treatable until a certain time frame. I don't remember how long one should wait for the treatment, but I'll have to use my artistic license for this fic.

As much as I am a research nut when it comes to fanfics (I try to make it as believable as possible), let's all just accept that Amanto technology has brought a tuberculosis cure in Edo and with Mitsuba cured, she'll have her happy ending.

Apologies for the lack of Sougo in this chapter, but he'll have more 'screen time' in the next chapter. At most, this will have three chapters.

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama. It belongs to Hideaki Sorachi. I only own the plot, the ideas and the gag in this fanfiction.

* * *

**Of Complications and Soap Operas**

* * *

_Chapter 2_

* * *

If there was one thing that Okita Sougo was thankful for every single day, it was that his sister was alive, well and currently sitting beside him at the private dining room of the Shinsengumi compound along with Kondo Isao and, to his irritation, Hijikata, who came back the moment his sister had arrived. It would've amused him greatly if he had been a common bystander watching their reunion which was filled with awkward silence, blushing and longing.

But he was Okita Sougo, prince of the planet of sadists, and the younger brother of Okita Mitsuba whose sister complex could rival Shimura Shinpachi's.

The tension between Hijikata and his sister irritated him because both of them, despite their ages, were acting like lovesick teenagers. How many times have they been stealing looks from one another ever since the afternoon snacks started?

'_I really, really hate you, Hijikata-san. Stay away from my sister.'_

"Sou-chan?" his sister's voice snapped him back to reality, and he smiled at her sheepishly.

"Sorry, _aneue_, I was just thinking about something."

"Is it a girl?" she teased.

"… Perhaps." She _did_ ask if it was a girl, and besides her, she was the only one worth thinking of.

"Oh, do tell me, you have a girl?" his sister's blood red eyes, similar to his own, were now sparkling with both amusement and happiness. "Tell me you do! You're 21 years old, yet you're not telling me!"

He truly wanted to say that he was just uninterested in girls (for the time being), and that was the last thing on his mind, but seeing his sister look at him gleefully made him retract. Sougo decided to be truthful. "I don't have a girl." Seeing his sister's crestfallen face, he added, "… but who knows…"

"Are you talking about China?" Kondo spoke up, looking at him with a look on his face that surprised even Sougo. Kondo Isao had this panicked look on his face for some reason.

"Why would I even consider her? She's a monster, not a girl."

That one, he had to admit, was a total lie.

The only girl he knew well aside from his sister was Imai Nobume and China. While the lone female of Mimawarigumi was much like him, he knew immediately that she would be too much for him. Her obsession with donuts, with the way she handled it, and her bloodlust that could rival even his own would probably scare his sister, as she never held back when it came to killing people, regardless of where she was.

As for China…

Well, he didn't want to think of her right now.

If he did, he would probably space out, since whenever he thought of her, she would dominate his mind.

'… _Why am I associating China with the word 'dominate'? I'm an S, not an M.'_ shaking the thought away, he look at Kondo and Hijikata, the former still having that uneasy look on his face. "Are you alright, Kondo-san?"

"I-I'm fine." He said, coughing a bit. "Why don't you two siblings take the rest of the afternoon off?"

"Oh, that's a great idea! Sou-chan, let's get going!" grabbing his younger brother's hand, she led him out of the Shinsengumi compound, barely having any time to put back on their footwear. "Sou-chan, hurry up!" she told him as he was putting on his shoes.

"_Aneue_…?" he couldn't believe that his sister was… hyper.

Not that he minded, but his sister was acting more like a sister now, and not at all motherly.

"Let's go, let's go!"

Yep, definitely an older sister.

And with that, the Okita siblings made their way to downtown Edo once more, eager to bond with one another once more.

* * *

"Why is this so damn hard?"

Right now, Kagura was lying on the floor of the _Koudoukan dojo_ where she had been hiding for the past hour. As soon as she had heard that Micchan would be staying at the Shinsengumi compound, her heart began pounding madly, and she felt like she was running out of air to breathe. Scared that it was happening to her again, she ran off to the dojo where she was able to calm her erratic heart.

Why was the mere mention of the Shinsengumi compound sent her running?

Sixteen sure was a complicated age.

No, scratch that. She was turning seventeen in two weeks' time, and this thing that the humans called 'puberty' was striking her right now.

Aged fifteen, she had asked Gin-chan, whom she was still living with, what 'co-habitation' meant, and if it applied to them. Cue in Gin-chan spitting out his strawberry milk from all the orifices available on his face and screamed, "Where did you learn that term? Oh, my daughter has been defiled by the evil people around her!" moaning like a moron, he started curling up in the couch, obviously scarred with her question.

"I dunno. I just heard it while walking around Kabuki-cho."

And with that, Gin-chan went on with the dramatics, bemoaning the state of his daughter's not-so-innocent mind, even went so far as to cry. "Listen, Kagura, never_ ever_ co-habit with a boy, you got that! You must marry first!"

As if she wanted to get married. "Yes, Gin-chan." She knew better than to say anything else. Gintoki, too, was reaching that age wherein he was _way_ too protective of her. The female Yato suspected it was all because of her Papi, but ignored it, knowing that he was just meddling in her life.

At sixteen, she asked him about the birds and the bees, which freaked him out completely. After the initial reaction, he relented, telling her that the XXX went to the OOO, and that was how babies were born. And Gin-chan being Gin-chan, he said it so calmly and filled it with so many details that she nearly puked on the spot.

And thanks to that, she didn't want to get married.

Ironically though, tomorrow was her betrothal ceremony and—

Ugh, she didn't want to think about that right now.

Sighing to herself, she knew that a bit of walking would clear her mind. It was early autumn, it wasn't that hot at four in the afternoon, and she didn't need to bring an umbrella. Besides, she was running out of sukonbu, and at her age, she still couldn't get enough for the snack. That, and her newly-discovered snack called _karintou_ that she thought looked like Sadaharu's poop, though a hundred times smaller.

Grinning at the fact that she would be able to get food, she got dressed in one of her cuter outfits purchased by _anego_, which was a short, red_ qipao_ that reached just above her knee, the slits running up to mid-thigh. The dress itself wasn't her usual, for it exposed her collar bones and chest but covered her shoulders. For safety measures, since she usually got herself into fights, Kagura wore white mini shorts. _Anego_ repeatedly stressed that shorts were important to cover parts that she shouldn't exposed, and because of that reason, Shimura Tae begun buying Kagura several kimono and yukata so 'she could practice fighting people in that restricted outfit'.

After fixing her hair into a bun on top of her head that vaguely reminded her of her hairstyle when she was in Yoshiwara years ago, Kagura then put on her red heeled shoes that went well with her outfit.

For once, she felt like a girl.

"Let's go buy that sukonbu!"

* * *

Well around six in the evening, Kagura was ready to head back to Yorozuya when someone had called out to her. Scanning the crowd, she found two familiar faces: one of them was Micchan, who had called out to her, and the other one behind her was…

Okita Sougo.

Suddenly, her heart began beating frantically against her chest, and before she knew it, she doubled up, her grocery bags falling down with her as she clutched the left side of her chest, trying to calm it down. Shortness of breath followed, and as much as she wanted to get up, her legs wouldn't allow her to do so.

'_Am I dying…? No, I won't allow it!'_

"Kagura-chan!" Mitsuba had made her way to her side and knelt down beside her. "What's wrong?"

"M-Micchan…?" Seeing the older woman's face made her smile weakly. "I-I'm okay… j-just… out of breath."

"Oi, China, are you turning into a weakling? What's with the sudden theatrics?" before she realized it, Sougo had crouched down and was talking to her softly. "And how do you know _aneue_?"

_W-why is he here?_ "S-stay away from me!" she muttered angrily at him. "You're way too close!" if it was possible, her heart pounded faster and harder, making her wince. Kagura wouldn't be surprised if Sougo heard it. His face was on the right side of her face, for he had to whisper. She vaguely guessed that he didn't want his sister to know that they knew each other. He was still wearing his Shinsengumi outfit, which meant he could use the duty excuse.

"Now, now, you're wounding this policeman's heart." He muttered, trying hard to keep the hurt out of his tone. "What happened to you?"

"J-just stay away from me and I'll be fine, tax robber!" she said harshly.

"Fine. Not my fault if you die." He said, standing up. "_Aneue_, the girl says she's fine. Let's go." The captain of the first division had changed his demeanor once again.

"B-but…" Mitsuba was torn between wanting to stand up and staying put.

"Oi, oi, what's happening here, Souichiro-kun?" the Yorozuya_ danna_ had made his way into the crowd that surrounded them, and as soon as he saw Kagura on her knees, he instantly panicked and kneeled beside her. "Kagura! What happened to you!" concern was etched on his face, a rare thing for someone like him who sported the dead fish look regularly.

Sougo tried hard not to kick _danna_ when Kagura suddenly wrapped her arms around the silver-haired former samurai's neck and buried her face there.

"G-Gin-chan… I-I can't breathe for some reason…" she whispered.

"What the hell did you do this time?" using one arm, he managed to support Kagura, who was now clinging unto him by wrapping her legs around his waist while his other free hand bent down to get the grocery bags. "Geez, let's just go home."

This was the only time Sougo noticed that she wasn't wearing her usual outfit. Somehow, he felt disappointed that he failed to notice it earlier, and that he didn't get a good look at it.

'_What the hell is wrong with me today?'_

"I'm sorry, Gin-chan…" she mumbled.

Gintoki said nothing more, but sighed heavily as he ignored the wary stares of the townspeople who probably thought he was a pedophile. Geez, Kagura was like his daughter! Why couldn't they get that part right?

"Sougo, thanks for looking out for her." He bowed his head slightly, getting his name right this time. "And nice seeing you again, Okita-dono." He turned to Mitsuba, who was smiling at him.

"Ah, so you also know Kagura-chan. And she's your…?"

"She's my ward. Her father tasked me to take care of her while he's off somewhere-I-don't-give-a-damn-about." He really had to set it straight, lest the lady thought he was some kind of pimp. "Sorry, but we really need to get home. She's not exactly light." A light punch on his back, courtesy of her fist, and he knew she was feeling better already.

"Anyways, we're off. See you around."

Another nod, and off he went to the direction of Yorozuya Gin-chan. Sougo's eyes discreetly followed Sakata Gintoki's back, wondering briefly why he had the urge to kick him earlier. The thought, however, disappeared, when he pondered on the fact that China had been harsh on him while when it came to _danna_, she had immediately hugged him, even going as far as wrapping her legs around his waist.

He knew it was a platonic relationship between _danna_ and China, but why was he so bothered with it?

"Sou-chan? Are you okay?" Mitsuba asked, placing a hand on his arm.

"… Never been better, _aneue_." He plastered a fake smile on his face, truly contrary to what he was feeling right now.

Okita Sougo felt very depressed right now.

It hit him that the way he was feeling was nearly at par with what he had felt when his sister was nearly dying from her disease.

What the hell was happening to him?

* * *

Okita Sougo had slept poorly that night.

Morning came, and when he was up at 7 in the morning, he still felt like crap.

Counting the Hijikata corpses didn't help at all, and even after reaching five thousand, it failed to lull him to sleep. Compared to his sister who had been fast asleep after lying on the futon, he stared at the ceiling the whole night until the sun started to rise. Irritated at the fact that something so trivial had bothered him, he got out of his room, careful not to wake his sister up and headed to the communal bath for a long bath. After all, he deserved one, since he was up all night.

An hour and a half later, feeling quite refreshed and dressed in his regular clothing that consisted of his _uwagi_ and _hakama_, he made his way to the hallways of the compound when he suddenly found a number of the rank-and-file crowding over the _shouji_ that led to the private rooms for the guests. He once remembered that it was the room that his sister was in when she had visited Edo years ago.

_So we have an important guest today. Kondo-san must be there_.

He knew that it was no concern of him until he heard the whispers.

"Hey, isn't that…?"

"Yeah, I think it is."

"Hijikata-san's there too. I wonder what's up…"

Yamazaki Sagaru was the one who was doing the peeping. Immediately, he looked back at the people behind him, and as soon as he saw Sougo, he panicked. "Ah, Okita-san! You're here!"

"What's happening?" he asked.

"W-well… from what I've heard…" Yamazaki swallowed before replying again. "I heard that Hijikata-san's engagement is being finalized."

Okita's eyes widened and immediately, he felt himself panic. Was that the reason why his sister suddenly visited him…?

And was that why Kondo-san had that panicked look on his face yesterday?

"What? Him and _aneue_? I won't allow it!" as much as he respected Kondo-san very much, he wouldn't allow to let that bastard Hijikata to ruin his sister's life again.

Never again.

Over his dead and bleeding body.

Kicking the soldiers aside, he opened the_ shouji_ to tell him off, but fell silent when he saw the occupants of the room.

Kondo Isao was staring at him in shock, while the bastard's cigarette had fallen down his mouth and made its way to the low table in front of him.

What shocked him the most was that _danna_, who had turned to look at him with his usual dead fish eyes, was in the room. Beside him was a certain vermillion-haired, azure-eyed girl clad in a red kimono.

She stared at him in shock, and the money envelop that he knew that was common in betrothal ceremonies fell from her hand as said body part flew immediately to cover her mouth that had dropped open upon seeing him.

The usually loud-mouthed China had been rendered speechless at his presence.

A _yuinou_ was taking place right now and it was between...

'_Hijikata and China…?'_

* * *

Unbeta'd. So sorry if you spot any errors. I'll fix this once I go over it again, since I wanted this up as soon as possible.

A _yuinou_ is a Japanese betrothal ceremony which is the next step before setting the date for the big event.

Also, the title _did _mention soap operas so, yeah. 8D hope you all enjoyed it.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama. It belongs to Hideaki Sorachi. I only own the plot, the ideas and the gag in this fanfiction.

* * *

Of Complications and Soap Operas

* * *

_Chapter 3_

* * *

Her azure-colored eyes stared up and saw nothing but him.

Him, Okita Sougo, in his rare moment of sporting a shocked look on his face, his eyes turning a bright red, staring at her in anger. Not once did he look at Hijikata—her fiancé—who had recovered from the initial shock and had picked up the cigarette from the table and began puffing once more. "Yo, Sougo, nice of you to join us."

Uncomfortable silence filled the air, and the remaining two male occupants seated wondered why Hijikata was unable to read the atmosphere of the room. Not only did it gave out the message that he had a death wish, but he it seemed as if he was trying to provoke the sadist.

And if he really was, he was succeeding.

"What's going here?" he asked in a deadpan tone, never breaking his eye contact from Kagura, who was staring back at him in shock.

"Obviously, it's a betrothal ceremony." Mayonnaise freak said, as if he was talking to a toddler. "See, the ceremonial items for the gift exchange, then on the floor, the envelope containing the money for—" before he could even continue, Sougo had made his way towards China and had grabbed her arm.

"Excuse me, Kondo-san, but I need to talk to China for a bit." Before she could even say a word, he had managed to pull her up to her feet and began dragging her away, silk kimono be damned.

"Let go of me!" she screeched, tugging her arm back to her side, but he only gripped it harder. Despite being a Yato, she had a hard time pulling away. The sadist, it seemed, had gotten stronger than her, for he easily pulled her into an empty room in the compound. Inside, he shoved her against the wall and placed both his arms on either side to trap her.

"… What the hell did _I _do?" she demanded. "And my kimono is ruined! _Anego_ is going to kill me, all thanks to you!"

He ignored her ramblings. "Seriously, China, you agreed to this?"

"A lady never backs out from her word!" she stated. "I'm not like Papi!"

"What, you two had a bet or something?"

"That's none of your business." He didn't have to know that she and Umibouzu had a deal about this whole betrothal business. Her Papi had wanted her married by the time she turned seventeen, and to settle it, they would have an all-out match. At sixteen, Kagura was evenly matched against the alien hunter, losing only because she had grown weak from hunger, for they had fought for seven days straight.

And with that, it was decided that Kagura was to get married. Because of Umibouzu's ties with the Shinsengumi from his last trip, he had wanted her to get married to someone from the police force.

In the end, Kondo had chosen Hijikata Toushirou to be her fiancé, and Papi had approved the match.

"You've just fucked yourself if you marry Hijikata."

"What's it to you anyway?" she asked. "Why the sudden urge to barge in, drag me to an empty room and ruin my kimono in the process?"

"My sister." He said immediately, trying hard not to get distracted by the way she looked. Her hair wasn't in its usual style, but in an upswept bun that exposed her nape [1]. Her red kimono had cherry blossom patterns embroidered on in it, and the end of her sleeves and the hem were colored black. The gradient color was unusual, but somehow, it suited her.

"Micchan? What's she got to do with it?" she knew of the relationship between her fiancé and Micchan from Kondo himself.

"_Aneue_ will be devastated when she finds out that that mayo-freak will be marrying you, her new best friend." He said it so calmly that she wondered if he was serious or just using it as an excuse for the sake of having one. One look at his expression, and she knew that it was the former.

So much for hoping…

She tried hard not to cry at the thought. "W-well… if she wanted my fiancé, she should've taken this matter into her own hands, and not just sit around and do nothing." Ironically, she herself had not done what she had preached. Kagura wouldn't be in this predicament if only she had the courage to tell Okita how she felt.

_I'm such a hypocrite._

"And you didn't? It's obvious that you hold no affection for Hijikata." Was she imagining it, or did he sound agitated…?

"Don't you _dare_ second-guess me." She hissed. "You were asked by Gorilla—"

"No, he didn't."

"He asked you if you liked someone, and you told him no—" she said.

"And if he did ask me," he continued, as if she had not spoken. "I would refuse. I don't want to be stuck with you for the rest of my life—"

A loud noise was heard throughout the empty room as Kagura raised her hand and slapped his left cheek swiftly. And before his mind could register the pain that followed, China's shoulders started heaving violently. "Fuck you, Okita Sougo. Just… FUCK YOU." She had bent her head down and covered her face with the sleeves of her kimono. "Get out of my sight!"

"Stop crying." He ordered harshly, the mask he was wearing crumbling bit by bit. So much for trying to talk some sense into her; somehow, everything went from bad to worse. All he wanted was to talk some sense into her, and maybe even convince her that marrying the person who just had to take everything away from him was bad news.

Damn Hijikata for taking away yet another person from him.

"Fuck you! Don't tell me what to do! It's bad enough that you're a total sadist who just wants to see me suffer, but this is a whole new level of being a total jerk!" she screamed, finally removing her hands away from her face. Even though he knew that she was crying, it still shocked him to see her eyes red from crying, her shoulders heaving and her azure blue eyes staring coldly at him. Indeed, if looks could kill, he would've dropped down already.

"You know what? Let's end this. I'll say my piece and you can get the hell out of my life." Wiping the tears from her eyes with the sleeve of her kimono, she stared into his eyes, vowing that this was the last time she'll ever look at him.

"I would've wanted you as my husband."

Sougo's eyes held no emotion when she said it, but his heart began pounding like crazy at the confession.

It would've been the perfect scenario for a _shoujo manga_ if the situation was that of a guy who suffered from unrequited love and the girl he had feelings for suddenly confessed to him. Unfortunately, the series is a _shounen manga_ and the girl was about to get married in two weeks' time. Right now was not really the best time for a farewell confession, nor was it proper, given the fact that the sexual tension between them remains to be solved, and their current position didn't help either. Okita was now leaning over Kagura, who then was trying to back her head away from him as far as she physically could.

Kagura then averted her eyes to the ground. "I've said what I needed to say, and I'm done with you."

"Listen, China." His hands shifted to her upper arms, gripping on them tightly. "You don't get to decide _when_ it ends. Only _me_."

Sougo pushed her down the floor and went on his knees while Kagura's backside hit the tatami. Her obi had prevented her from crashing down the ground, and before she could even blink, he was now sitting on the floor and had cradled her against his left hip, his hands gripping on her shoulders both to steady and to hold her down.

"W-what the hell are you—"

"Now, now, China. You'd better shut your mouth unless you want Hijikata to find out this dirty little secret of yours." Smugness was evident in his tone, flaring up Kagura's temper.

"I do _not_ have a 'dirty little secret'!" She hissed at him, wondering what the hell he was insinuating. "Let go of me!"

"You think I'm letting you go after what you've just said?" He asked her. "Well, aren't _you_ an idiot."

"If you've just pushed me to the ground to insult and degrade me—"

"Insult you, yes. That's a given already. But," he knew he had to get to the point, for the female Yato was already cracking her knuckles. "degrade you? If I had such intentions, I would've been on top of you already, ripping our clothes off." When the blush appeared once more on her face, Okita chuckled.

"You're thinking of something dirty, aren't you?" he smirked.

"I-I'm not!" if only he knew how her mind theater worked with that scenario in mind.

"Yeah right." And with that, he began kissing her cheeks, her neck, her jawline and her nape. "See, I'm still an honorable country samurai."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Honorable, yet here you are, sneaking kisses here and there."

"Tch." was all he said as he planted yet another kiss on her slender neck. Kagura shivered and sighed in pleasure as he tugged down the collar of her kimono and kissed her bare shoulders. She gasped when he bit on the spot near her neck and started sucking on it while his free hands made it way down her obi and…

She had been rendered speechless by Okita's actions.

As much as she wanted to scream, she knew they would get caught. The best thing that she could do was to bury her head against the crook of his neck, all the while doing her best to muffle the sounds that came out from her mouth. Kagura never knew that such a thing was possible, since most of her life, the only things that came out of her mouth was obscenities. Apparently, stupid sadist had managed to do _something_ in order for her to have this kind of reaction and…

Once she had reached the peak, she bit unto Sougo's neck, who then hissed in pain from the sudden sting on his neck, though he composed himself seconds later. As Kagura let herself calm down from the sudden burst of energy that ran through her body, Sougo spoke up. "You just had to bit me where everyone can see." He raised his left hand to touch the spot on his neck where she had bit him.

"You deserve it." She huffed, pulling up the collar to cover the now red kiss mark. "What's with the sudden urge to bite me?"

"Before that mark on your shoulder disappears, I'll make you _mine_."

She pretended not to be affected by his declaration, yet her heart started pounding madly at the thought of _him_ sweeping her off her feet… or maybe even dragging her by the arm, or even carry her like a sack of potatoes. Silly her for having such romantic notions about love, but one could dream, right…?

"Yeah, we'll see." was all she said, knowing that there would always be the possibility of him backing out and abandoning her. Men were no different, after all, and her Papi had always broken his promises. When they had that deal, she promised to go through with it, just to show baldy that she would stay true to her word. Despite the loss, she accepted the fact that she was off to get married to someone who probably didn't like her.

And with that, she got herself stuck with Mayora.

"You doubt me, China?" he cocked an eyebrow at her.

She shrugged in reply. "People always break their promises. Whenever they tell me something, I'd never _ever_ believe them until they do it right in front of my eyes." Just like when Papi told her that he would be home soon when he didn't even bother to remember that he had a wife and a daughter who was waiting for him.

Straightening herself, she wiped her inner thighs with the right part of her kimono, which would be hidden from sight. Kagura didn't want them to know that during her betrothal ceremony, she was messing around with her fiancé's subordinate. Oh, what a scandal it would be, just like in those dramatic soap operas that the whole of Edo was into. "Well, see you around—" she said as soon as she stood up to fix herself.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Sougo asked angrily.

"Obviously, I'm leaving." she rolled her eyes at him. And with that, she exited the room, legs slightly shaking from their acts earlier. As soon as she had shut the _shouji_ behind her, the female Yato ran as fast as she could back to the Yorozuya.

_Gin-chan can go home all by himself. I need to think._

* * *

It had been days since the incident at the Shinsengumi compound. To make matters worse, Gin-chan had told her that even though it was against his will to allow her, she was to go to the Shinsengumi compound, accompanied by a chaperone, to spend time with Hijikata. She herself didn't want to do such with the awkwardness that will probably occur with her in the picture, plus the Okita siblings. In the end, she went through with it, Shimura Shinpachi behind her, acting like the mother hen, as usual.

The compound had been silent when they saw her again, and if she could actually read their minds, the looks on their faces said it all.

'_Why is she spending time with Hijikata-san?'_

'_Isn't China Okita-san's playmate or something? Why is she with him?'_

'_Good thing Okita-san isn't here to see this.'_

It may have been a huge coincidence, or it was deliberately planned, but every time she was at the compound, both Micchan and sadist were out.

At least she didn't have to worry about the awkwardness.

* * *

"Sou-chan, why are you so down…?"

Mitsuba was worried sick for her brother. He had been in a daze lately, and it was harder and harder for him to snap back to reality. Despite her gentle prodding and indirect questioning, Sougo was unresponsive.

"Sou-chan." Mitsuba placed a hand on top of her younger brother's hand. "Please… tell me if there's something I can do."

He shook his head and stared off at the window of the restaurant they were in. The older sister had sensed that he was going to lock himself up in his room if he were to continue this act, so she had forced him to go out with her to eat breakfast with her. Unfortunately, it didn't work, for he was still in his dazed and reflective state, and Mitsuba was getting seriously worried.

She knew what was wrong, and despite the way she felt towards the incident, she wasn't angry at Kagura. From what she had heard through gossip, the match was decided by both Kondo Isao and Umibouzu, Kagura's father, and as much as she had wanted to object, she knew it was impossible to break an engagement that already had a _yuinou_.

All she could do right now was comfort her brother, as well as herself, for the events that would happen next week.

* * *

Another week had passed since the week-long date, and for the remaining week, Kagura was told not to go out as much, as she would ruin her complexion if she stayed too long under the sun. While she wanted to tell them that her umbrella would serve its purpose by blocking out the sun, she didn't bother arguing with them. Besides, she wanted to think more about the situation she would be getting herself into by the end of the week.

Unfortunately, she didn't have enough time to ponder, for the Shinsengumi officers went in and out of the Yorozuya, moving her stuff back to their compound while she supervised the move. She was told that after the wedding, she was to stay in the compound with her husband.

Fate, it seems, had its special way of mocking her.

'_When will this soap opera life of mine come to an end! I just want to live a normal life, gaaaah!'_

Two days before her wedding, Gin-chan had dropped by for a while to let her know that he was going to a _pachinko_ parlor for the night, and that she didn't need to wait up for him.

Kagura heard, despite the fact that she was preoccupied with her thoughts. She knew that the trip would have a Yoshiwara visit on the side, and that gave her more time to think without getting bothered by anyone. Shinpachi was with _anego_, so it was just her and Sadaharu in the Yorozuya for the whole day. With her all alone, she began pondering on her thoughts about that sadist.

Why only now did he decide to move? He had the whole of last year to think about it. According to Gorilla and Mayora, the commander had been asking his men since early last year if any one of them wanted to settle down. Shinsengumi had this weird rule that everyone had to take turns in getting married (if they do wanted to settle down) and needed to have it scheduled. It was a weird, but practical setup, since if they all got married, the police force would dwindle.

Ever since Kondo's disastrous marriage ceremony, however, it had seemed that they were all hesitant and cautious regarding that matter. When Kondo started asking and no one was responding, he had resorted to the hierarchy system. Since Gorilla didn't want to marry anyone but Shimura Otae, the burden had fallen to Hijikata's shoulders. He had the right to decline, but he didn't.

'_Mayora probably wants to be honorable and go with the deal.'_ She concluded, since he was all but demanding. The raven-haired vice-captain tolerated her and even made small talk during the time they had been forced on a series of 'dates' by Kondo. Sakata Gintoki wasn't really fond of the mayonnaise freak marrying his 'daughter', but with Umibouzu himself approving of the match, he had very little say in the matter.

She sighed and looked at the clock beside her.

The big day was in less than 48 hours.

That meant that she was going to move out of the Yorozuya and move into the Shinsengumi compound. They had made special exemptions for her as the future wife of their boss, since the place was strictly an all-male compound.

But then again, Micchan…

She knew that Hijikata loves Micchan, and vice-versa. And she felt like she was the female antagonist who went in-between the two lovers who just couldn't spit it out.

Ugh, why was she stuck in some kind of love polygon that made little to no sense?

"My life is a soap opera. Fan-fucking-tastic." She said before drifting off to sleep, absentmindedly rubbing her shoulder where the mark was starting to face. The events of the day overwhelmed her, and she had to get her strength back.

Tomorrow, the small bulk of her stuff would be moved to the compound, she would supervise it, and the last minute details would be dealt with before the big day.

If she could, she wanted to sleep forever and just forget the fact that she would become Mrs. Hijikata.

_Bastard sadist. You promised to come and get me…_

When Kagura woke up and saw black, she instantly panicked, scared that she had lost her sight. Her heart racing like mad, she scrambled to move, only to feel her wrists and ankles bound together. For some reason, something was strapped on her chest, running between her breasts and restraining her.

She was in some person's car.

At this she began thrashing about, scared of the fact that some _yakuza_ members had decided to kidnap her for ransom.

"Ah, you're finally awake." A familiar tone that came from her right made her eyes grow wide beneath the cloth.

"Sadist, what the hell are you doing?" she spat, trying shake her head so she could remove the clothing but failed.

He tsked, and she could clearly imagine him smirking at her misery. "China, didn't you just tell me something two weeks ago?"

"Which is…?"

"'If she wanted my fiancé, she should've taken this matter into her own hands, and not just sit around and do nothing.'." he recited.

"And then…?" why was he not making sense…?

He rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Obviously, China, I just kidnapped you… and we're going to my parents' house and stay there for two weeks."

"What the hell!" at this, she slammed her body against the left side and everything suddenly jerked to the left. If Sougo hadn't been a skilled driver, they would've started spinning in the air.

"China, take it easy. I'm driving, and you're being a pain in the ass." He said in his deadpan tone, never taking his eyes on the road. "It's three in the morning, I wanna sleep, but I have to drive from Kabuki-cho to Bushu. Now be a good girl and stay put."

"… Why are you doing this, then?"

He rolled his eyes. "China, does everything have to be said and spelt out for you?" he asked her sarcastically. "You're so dense."

"… Says the idiot who can't tell me how he feels and resorts to kidnapping me." She said bitterly.

Suddenly, he had hit on the brakes, earning a yelp from the girl on the passenger seat. Ripping off the blindfold that covered her eyes, he glared at her. "Now what are _you_ complaining about now? I told you that I'll be coming for you soon."

She rolled her eyes, clearly losing the argument. He _did _have a point. "Fine. Just drive."

"Gladly." And with that, he sped up.

* * *

Two hours later, at half past five in the morning, Okita Sougo had pulled over near a modest-looking house that had been his childhood home before relocating to Edo with Kondo-san and Hijikata. It had been years since he went home, and the place hadn't changed at all. Kagura had been quiet throughout the trip, for around thirty minutes after he started driving again did she fall asleep once more. More than once, he was tempted to brush his lips on her face, but decided against it.

After all, he took a two-week vacation leave just for this.

The stupid things he did on a whim.

And the stupid things he did for a totally dense girl who probably hated his guts right now.

He sighed, shaking the thoughts away. It was no use regretting this. He had done what he had always wanted to do, and it was all up to China if she wanted out or not. Release the seat belt from her torso, the Shinsengumi then carried her into his arms, locked the doors of the car and walked inside his house.

After settling her in the futon inside his old room, he himself laid down beside her, exhaustion taking a toll in his body.

He had been thinking of this plan since last week.

For once in his life, Okita Sougo was unsure if this would work. He was a strategist, yes, but this was one plan wherein hesitation was at an all-time high. After he had sorted out his feelings days ago, it was crystal clear to him on how he felt for the female Yato who had been the first to dare and punch him on the face.

The problem now was how she felt.

Was the feeling still mutual for her?

Did she hate him still?

And… did she go with him because she wanted to escape from it all, or because of him?

'_Geez, everything's turning complicated. I'll wait until later to process that thought.'_

* * *

They had awakened at the same time, which was around eleven in the morning, with the sun high up in the autumn sky. Sougo was the first one up, and one look at Kagura, who was now snuggling in his arms, was enough to make his face turn a deep shade of red. She stirred seconds later, and when she looked up to see him holding her, the vermillion-haired girl backed up hastily. "Ah, ummm… s-sorry." She mumbled under her breath, finding the futon very interesting for some reason.

He shook his head and stood up. "Let's have late breakfast. And I'll have to show you around. Follow me."

She nodded. She was going to stay here for a while, after all.

The pair made their way around the house, both to check if everything was in order (in Sougo's case) and to know where the bathroom was located, as well as the kitchen (in Kagura's case). When the small tour was done, she excused herself and waited in the dining area. He had insisted that he would cook for both of them, which made her eyebrows rise, as well as her rate of her heartbeat, but ignored him and kept her cool as she made her way to the other room. As she sat on the tatami, Kagura bent her head and rested it against the low table, sighing deeply. As much as she was glad that she had been kidnapped with her consent, she was still worried about the others. Gin-chan would probably freak out and start looking for her, and he didn't know that she was safe.

'_If only he had a mobile phone, he would've easily known where I am right now…!'_

Sighing once more, she raised her head up to at least take in her surroundings when she noticed a paper envelop just across from where she sat. Leaning forward to take a closer look, she realized that it was addressed to sadist. As if on cue, Sougo came in. "China, get your plate."

"Wait, you have a letter. Open it." She handed the item to him.

"I'll open it later. Too hungry to care." He said nonchalantly.

"No, open it! I wanna see what it says!" she pouted, her lips pursed together.

He tried to remember how to breathe. "Fine." Okita didn't really want to argue right now with her, for he was both sleepy and hungry, and he had to conserve his energy. Stifling a yawn, he ripped the side open, unfolded the letter. The handwriting was familiar, but he didn't really care about it right now and just proceeded to read the content. At the first line, his eyebrows went up so high that it disappeared behind his fringe, and he blinked.

And blinked.

And blinked once more.

Silence… and then…

"What the fuck is going on?"

Without asking for permission, Kagura snatched the letter from his limp hands and began reading it.

_'Sou-chan, congratulations on your marriage to Kagura-chan!'_

They both looked at each other in disbelief and then...

"When the hell did _we_ get married?" they both screeched.

* * *

[1] nape - The Japanese find the nape the sexiest part of a woman's body.

I am so sorry for the late update. I got sick, so I was unable to update any of my fics. This chapter was extra long to compensate for the delay. Hopefully, I didn't make too much mistakes. If ever, please point them out and I'll fix it ASAP.

Final chapter is next! Thank you so much for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

I had to update and post this just to let you all know that I've been writing as much as I could. A lot has happened for the past few days, and as much as I wanted to post the finale ASAP, it would take me too long, since I've had been hit with this weird compulsion to make it so damn perfect.

For now, please bear with this chapter. This is part 1 of 2 of the finale.

Fair warning, there are adult situations between the pairing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama. It belongs to Hideaki Sorachi. I only own the plot, the ideas and the gag in this fanfiction.

* * *

**Of Complications and Soap Operas**

* * *

_Chapter 4_

* * *

Sougo could not believe what he was seeing right now.

Him, married.

Married…?

Married to China?

Was this some kind of joke?

Immediately, he scanned the vicinity, on the lookout for any hidden cameras, just in case he got himself into a gag show wherein someone would just jump out and tell him that he just got pranked.

This was too good to be true.

"Let me see that!" Kagura had immediately snatched the letter away from his hand and started scanning the contents of the letter.

_To my dearest Sou-chan,_

"Sou-chan…?" she looked at the sadist, who now directed his gaze at the tatami, blushing lightly. "Nice nickname, _Sou-chan_." She said, smirking at him, which made him glare back at her.

_I apologize for the deception. You must be angry at me now._

As if reading her mind, Sougo spoke up quickly. "I don't… hate _aneue_." He said carefully, his face impassive. As much as he hated the deception and the manipulation, the Shinsengumi captain knew that there must have been a reason for his sister to do this… and even if she didn't, he could never be angry at her.

He loved her too much to get angry at her.

_Kondo-san had always been updating me about you, even during the course of my treatment. I was always worried about you, Sou-chan, and he was kind enough to always inform me about what has been happening in Edo._

_What caught my attention one day during spring was when he told me that a _yuinou_ was to take place in the autumn of this year. I nearly despaired when he said that Toushirou-san had volunteered to marry someone named 'Kagura', but I never gave up. I had promised myself to get better as soon as I could, then travel to Edo to convince Toushirou-san to break the engagement._

_What surprised me more was the fact that many of them had been willing to help me in my… predicament. Sakata-san had been the most vocal, saying that 'he would rather give up his sugar consumption than let the wedding push through'. Eventually, even Toushirou-san had caught on to the plans of Sakata-san and the others—_

"Wait, others…?!" Kagura didn't know that there had been people who secretly opposed her betrothal and eventual marriage to Mayora. This was a rather new development, since everyone around her had done the opposite: push her towards Hijikata.

What the hell were they planning…?

—_and said that for the meantime, we should all be patient._

_Well, here you are, married to Kagura-chan. Toushirou-san had used your _jitsu-in [1] _to sign the marriage contract on your behalf, claiming that 'you were too ill at that time to get up and do it yourself'. Remember two weeks ago, when Kagura-chan had dropped by the compound for the _yuinou_? That was when you two had gotten married._

The vermillion-haired girl had looked up from her letter reading to look at Okita, who was staring at her blankly. His mere gaze made her heart pound madly against her chest, and once again, the lack of air had made her fall on the tatami as she clutched the left side of her chest, as if willing it to stop the pounding.

"What's wrong?" Okita asked, rushing to her side immediately. "Second time I've seen you like this."

She shook her head, trying hard to inhale and exhale rapidly to calm the beating. "N-nothing. Stay away from me!"

He rolled his eyes and roughly pushed her on the floor. Standing up to fix both his _uwagi _and _hakama, _he walked off, knowing that the only way for him not to lash out at her was to get away from her as far as he could.

"W-where the hell are you going?!" she demanded, and when he looked back, Kagura knew that he was beyond pissed. Gone was the calm façade and was replaced by an angry and fuming one. His icy stare was enough for her to take a step back, and with that, he made his way to the family courtyard, which was hidden enough to give him some privacy.

His absence had made her heart rate return to normal, but she couldn't help but wonder why it suddenly made her feel as if someone had stabbed her and the pain wouldn't go away.

* * *

_She hates me_.

All his plans have gone awry, his two-week vacation leave had been for nothing, the marriage contract had been tampered with (but who the hell would say it was fraud if the witnesses would deny everything to death?) and he was _hurt_.

_Hurt_, all because she told him to stay away.

For the first time in his life, the sadist had been the one who had gotten hurt, and it was all because of _mere words_. How pathetic he had become, letting some dense female Amanto run all over him and getting away with it. If only he brought the bazooka, he should've just shot her when she told him to stay away, but because his idiocy had ruled over the logical side of him, he was weaponless and had no means to alleviate his frustration.

Sometimes, he still wondered how all of this could be worth every crap he did.

"Sadist?" came a voice from somewhere in the house.

He ignored her, making no move to get up from where he was sitting, which was the hallway of the house that had the view of the family courtyard. Now that he thought about it, everything looked beautiful. Maple leaves were turning into shades of yellow and orange—

"Sadist! Where are you?" she asked again. Footsteps echoed against the wooden floor, and Sougo knew she was running all over the place. "Hey, answer me! Where are you?!"

He tuned her out and distracted himself by thinking of more pleasant things. One Hijikata corpse, two Hijikata corpses—

"H-hey! Sadist! Answer me, will you!? Don't tell me you've left me here all alone…!" there was panic in her tone. "S-Sadist…!"

Before he knew it, muffled sobs filled the air, and against his better judgment, he quickly got up and walked over to where she was.

'_Well shit, I hope I won't regret this.'_ Out loud, he yelled, "China, seriously, stop cry—"

Kagura had suddenly gotten up from her squatting position and ran up to envelope him in her arms. She was shorter and smaller than he was, but because of her Yato heritage, she had tackled him to the grounds of the hallway. With Sougo sitting on the floor and her kneeling in front of him, he couldn't ask for a more creative pose, recalling the times wherein he bouts of insanity imagining himself hugging her.

"Why the hell are you crying?" he asked coldly.

She sniffed loudly. "I-I thought you left…" came her muffled reply, her hands clutching his _uwagi_ tightly.

He rolled his eyes. "I'm stuck here with you for two weeks. Why would _I _leave?" not to mention that the house was surprisingly well-stocked, probably because all of them had somehow anticipated this. "Get off me."

"N-no." she said.

"What the hell are you planning?"

"T-trying to make this thumping against my chest get used to you being close."

Trust China to catch him off guard with mere words. "… What?"

She looked up to him, tears still running down her face. "My body is having a weird reaction to you, okay?! Gin-chan told me that if a weird reaction happens to you, you should keep doing it until you get… uh, what was that word again… oh, right, 'immune'."

The Yorozuya _danna_ had taught her something practical for once. He allowed a small smile to tug on his lips, all anger towards her forgotten. "Is that so…"

"Y-yeah! Oh hey, I think I'm immune now—" a kiss had rendered her speechless as Sougo had pressed his lips against hers. Automatically, she reached out to wrap her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss further. There was a mad scramble for both as they reached out to remove each other's clothing, with Kagura yanking the _uwagi_ while Okita unbuttoned her pink pajama top. Within minutes, both had been unclothed from the top and they parted, both gasping for air.

"Immune yet?" he smirked.

"S-shut up! Now I have to do it over and over again so I can get used to it—" before she could continue, a hand was pressed on her left, slightly grasping her left breast. Mortified that he was touching her so intimately and that he was touching her bare breast, Kagura didn't think twice and aimed her fist at the sadist's face. Unfortunately for her, Sougo had caught it, and instead placed it against the left side of his chest. If it was even possible to blush further, then she would probably need to douse her face in cold water. His chest was smooth, with hardly any scars on it, and it was warm under her touch.

"China, look at me."

She looked up to see the sadist looking at her… lovingly…?

_W-wait, what the hell…!_

She really didn't know how to describe the look he was aiming at her. He was looking at her with his half-lidded eyes, slightly smirking. "Immune yet? Your heart rate seems… 'weird'. Are you having a 'reaction' because of me?" he teased, referring to the rapid beating of her heart. When she averted her eyes and did not reply, Sougo chuckled.

He placed his left hand on top of the hand that was pressed against his chest. At her surprised reaction, a low rumbling from his chest erupted. "Well, you're not alone."

"… Can't imagine this would ever happen to you, sadist." She commented. "That you have a heart, 'cause you're such a meanie."

"Now, now, you've wounded me." He sighed mockingly. "Better get ready for your punishment, China."

He pulled her roughly against him once more, and when she fell forward into his arms, grabbed her immediately and made his way to the room they shared earlier. Wasting no time, he laid her down on the futon and began eagerly kissing her. To his surprise, China didn't utter any protest with his sudden aggressiveness, and was even returning his kisses. Slowly, they began removing their articles, and while Sougo began removing her pajama bottoms, she broke away from him and began raining kisses on his shoulders.

"No underwear?" she could feel him smirking when she had helped him removed her pajama pants and tossed it away.

"What's it to you?" she said, face burning at the thought of sadist teasing her that she was such a kid because of her lack of underwear. So what if she wanted to go commando under her pants?

"Never _ever_ do this with _danna _around." Suddenly, he was all serious, and when Kagura pulled away to look at him, he looked like he was… pouting?

"Sadist, are you... concerned about me?" she fought the urge not to grin at his reaction.

"More like pissed because you're dense as usual, and the fact that you do this while _danna_ is around never ceases to amaze me." She didn't have to know that he wanted nothing more than to gouge the Yorozuya _danna_'s eyes out with a spoon.

How could the old man get to see such before he did?

Life was just fucking unfair.

"… He wasn't around when I did this anyway." She confessed.

It did nothing to soothe his envy. "Why, then, did you suddenly decide to do away with underwear?" Sougo suddenly forgot the question when Kagura lowered her hips against his own, pressing against the part of him that was already aroused. A low moan had escaped his lips before he could even stop himself.

"For once, just shut up and let me do my 'duties' as your…" at this, she swallowed. "wife."

He let a smile touch his lips.

He liked the idea more and more.

"So, what's your first duty?"

Kagura smirked at she untied the strings to his _hakama_. "You're overdressed, and I'm cold. Gin-chan told me that the best way to keep warm is to share body heat." She leaned over to him to press a quick kiss on his lips before stripping him naked.

Okita Sougo couldn't ask for a more perfect scenario.

He have had dreams wherein China and him were caught in the weirdest, yet most erotic roles which always left him confused and hungering for more. He was always disappointed when he woke up, and seeing her frolicking about in Edo always gave him ideas that he was sure would make a good story for erotic novels. But then again, he was a young man who had no experience whatsoever in interacting with the opposite sex who wasn't his sister until she came along.

"Kagura." He cupped her cheek, staring straight into her eyes, feeling her face warm up.

"W-what, sadist…?"

"My wife." He said before pulling her into another kiss.

* * *

"I haven't finished reading Micchan's letter yet." Kagura said while they were eating late lunch around two in the afternoon. Both of them were in the dining area once more, sitting across from one another. "You know where it is?" she was currently wearing Okita's _uwagi_ as she was too lazy to wear her own top. Besides, the top served as a yukata of sorts, for it covered the parts that needed to be covered.

Sougo wordlessly handed her the letter, too hungry to talk. He too lacked a bit of clothing, for he was only wearing a pair of boxers. He didn't really give a damn with what he was wearing right now for brunch because he was too hungry, and it was only the two of the in the house.

Kagura continued to read, grinning and shaking her head at times, her eyes never leaving the paper. When she reached a certain part, she raised an eyebrow.

"Heh. You really called me a monster in front of Micchan." She remarked, shaking her head. "Idiot sadist."

"Be thankful that I'm even letting you read that." He said after swallowing his food.

She stuck out her tongue at him instead and continued.

Minutes after reading the letter, Kagura sighed both in relief and in disappointment. She was happy that Micchan wasn't angry at her, but at the same time envied Sougo for having a sister who loved him unconditionally and wanted him to be happy.

Kamui wouldn't bother with such, that freak.

"Micchan really loves Mayora, huh?" she commented off-handedly after setting the letter down on the floor. The female Yato had to change topics lest she dwell on it too much and just make her all depressed.

"… I guess she does." He grumbled, knowing that no matter how hard he would try to break up Hijikata and his sister, it was now impossible to do such. "Why him, of all people…"

"Heh, your sister complex sure is worse than Shinpachi's." she teased, rapidly eating her food, the hunger in her still unsatisfied with the meal provided in front of her. "More rice!" demanded the Yato.

"Get your own." He replied, calmly taking a sip from his tea.

"Tch, lazy-ass husband." She fumed, reaching across the table for the rice cooker that was beside him but instead of getting the appliance, he had grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to him. "… What's with you and pulling me lately? Geez, I nearly got your _uwagi_ dirty!"

The first division captain of the Shinsengumi ignored her. "Say it again." He said it so seriously that Kagura decided to humor him.

"Lazy-ass husband?" she grinned before a brief kiss made its way to her lips.

Suddenly, she wasn't feeling so hungry anymore for food. Composing herself, she crawled across the low table and was standing by his side in seconds.

"Sougo, let's go." She said, tugging his arm.

China was just full of surprises today. _Must've been from earlier_, he concluded. "Go where?"

"To your room, of course!" she said it so assertively that he was thankful for his seated position. Otherwise, he would've fallen down in shock with what she had just suggested. "What, you chickening out?" she smirked.

Still so innocent after doing all those possible outlawed activities in Edo that Sougo was sure that were only done in the pleasure district of Yoshiwara. "Nope." He said, standing up and following her back to his room.

* * *

"How do you feel about me?"

Okita Sougo, who was lying on his back, blankets draping below his waist, suddenly turned to his left. "You ask me that after all that has happened, China?"

She scowled. "For all I know, you're probably using me to get back at Mayora for whatever reason you have." Kagura knew that she sounded stupid right now, but sadist and his whims were another story. He was more moody than the average male, and was prone to torturing her in various ways. Such was the true nature of a sadist like him and…

She knew that if all of this was one huge joke, she may not be able to take the heartache.

Kagura also feared that after this 'honeymoon period', he would tell her that this was all one huge joke, and that he was going to file for a divorce after they get back to Edo.

She held her breath, anxious and scared for his answer.

* * *

Note:

_[1] _jitsu-in - One of the stamps needed to conduct business in Japan. A _jitsu in_ is used when you need to conduct important businesses, marriage included.

Personally, I'm not 100% sure with the jitsu-in usage, but if I'm wrong, let's just say I used my artistic license to make it happen.

There's a lemon side-story for this, but since I don't want to compromise my account by posting the full blown scene, I'll have to post the lemon edition on another site. I'll update you all once I've finished setting up everything.

Seriously, I still struggle with Sougo's characterization. I am torn and confused between how the fans portray him, and how the anime/manga makes him out to be. So sorry if I ruined it for you all.

Chapter 5 will be up either by tomorrow, or by Saturday, depending on how busy I am.

Thanks again for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Of Complications and Soap Operas**

* * *

_Chapter 5_

* * *

_If you have any doubts, Sou-chan, then yes, the contract is legal and binding. The paper works have been done, courtesy of Sakata-san and Kondo-san, who had been too busy making sure that both of you had been distracted when they filed the necessary paper work._

_Kondo-san had actually hesitated on this course of action, Sou-chan. After you have vehemently denied not liking her, and even calling her a monster, he was worried that you will be stuck in a marriage that would make you unhappy. He had always looked out for you, and wants you to be happy, and this deception, he said, might make you resent him._

_~Mitsuba's letter to Sougo_

"I hope Sou-chan and Kagura-chan are doing well right now…"

Okita Mitsuba was currently in the courtyard of the Shinsengumi compound, sitting on the edge of the wooden flooring, her legs dangling. Sou-chan had a mobile phone, but had not yet contacted her since his flight from the compound. At an ungodly hour of two in the morning, he had awaken Kondo Isao, handed him his letter requesting for a vacation leave and went off using one of the unmarked cars that the police force had.

A _shouji_ opened, and behind it stood Hijikata Toushirou. "Ah, sorry, didn't know this placed was occupied—" before he could even turn away, she spoke up.

"Toushirou-san, please, stay. I… I don't mind having… some company." She said, casting her gaze downward. "At least it'll distract me for a bit…"

He shrugged, but sat down a few good meters away from her. "Hope you don't mind." He said, referring to his cigarette and mayonnaise-shaped lighter. When she shook her head, he lit up the cigarette and began puffing away.

"So… the wedding is… off, huh?" she said without thinking. _Oh, me and my big mouth…_

"Looks like it." Hijikata commented nonchalantly, exhaling out the smoke. "Doesn't really matter, 'cause everything went according to plan, right?"

"Yes, but… I still wonder if I did the right thing… if it was worth it." She sighed. "Sou-chan must be really angry at me…"

"He wouldn't hate you even if you murdered someone in cold blood." Hijikata supplied.

"That's… slightly morbid." She gave out a nervous laugh and suddenly, the demon vice-captain wanted to slam his head against the wooden post he was leaning on. He did so anyway, albeit discreetly.

It was stupid of him to be so crass in front of a woman who was the living and breathing image of a _yamato nadeshiko_ until it was meal time.

"Point is, the kid loves you so much that whatever you do, he'll gratefully accept it. You handing China to him was practically giving him his most favorite thing in the world on a silver platter."

"I-is that so…?" Sougo never spoke to her about those matters, yet he knew all about it. Somehow, she felt just a little bit jealous. "He… never mentioned it to me. About his feelings for her, I mean."

"Took him a long time to realize his feelings for China." The man said, taking yet another puff before putting it out. "Nearly took him three years to realize, and without this whole 'engagement', he wouldn't make a move at all."

"I see…"

"If I didn't volunteer, he wouldn't even bother doing anything." The Shinsengumi member said. "Push came to shove when you entered, and that was when the plans got finalized—"

"W-wait, so you mean… right from the start…?"

"You mean right from the start, this had been the plan? Of course. Kondo-san and I know that he would rather die than admit that he likes her, so we decided to bait him a bit… which didn't work particularly well since he outright ignored it until you stepped in." by now, Hijikata was looking at her intensely, which made her blush. Mitsuba cursed herself for still not being immune to him and for even being able to blush at her age. "Umibouzu-dono had given his blessings for their match, though he wasn't too keen with the fact that your brother has some… quirks that may raise some eyebrows."

She chuckled. "That's what makes Sou-chan unique. He has his flaws, yet I love him all the same."

"Right." He couldn't say the same thing for Okita since the kid had always wanted to kill him whenever possible, but out of respect for Mitsuba, he had to shut his mouth. "Anyway, it's getting late. You should get some rest."

"… Do you still feel uncomfortable around me?" she asked bluntly.

"W-wha—" he did _not_ expect her to ask him that.

It was a question that had gone unanswered for _years_, and for _years_, he had always avoided seeing her whenever she was visiting Sougo.

He really was a coward.

"Do you… hate me?"

"If I hated you, then I wouldn't be here in the same place as you." He explained, and the urge to just get up and run away spiking up to dangerous levels.

"So you're just being cordial for the sake of tolerating me…?"

"Make of it what you will. I'm going back inside." Hijakata had propped himself up using both of his hands and was just about to leave when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him from behind.

"… Tell me the truth, Hijikata Toushirou." She said firmly. "Either say it right now or—"

"Or what, Mitsuba?" he asked.

"Or I'll make sure your beloved mayonnaise factory gets destroyed by Sou-chan!"

Hijikata did a double take. How could someone as calm as Mitsuba be able to deadpan her threats? But then again, she was the older sister of the expert at deadpan threats, so he shouldn't _really_ be surprised. Sighing, he knew he had to tell her sooner or later where he really stood regarding his feelings. It would be hypocritical of him to not practice what he had just told her about her brother's feelings towards the Yorozuya girl. "I've said it before. I do not care for you. My answer is still the same."

Before she could protest, he added quickly, "… But maybe, this time around, my feelings have changed."

"… Is it too much for me to ask if I… still have a chance…?"

_You were the only one who had a chance._ "… Maybe—" when she tightened the hug around his waist, Hijikata knew his face was red from embarrassment. "Oof."

"S-sorry." She said, pressing her forehead against his back. "I-I'm just… happy to know that I still have a chance…"

Seriously, Hijikata didn't know what to do right now, mainly because he knew that after what he had just done, everything between them would turn awkward. "A-anyway, it's getting late, and I need to patrol early tomorrow so…" he felt strangely empty when he removed Mitsuba's arms around him and willed himself to walk away from her.

"Okay then. Good night, Toushirou-san." She bowed before heading off to Sougo's empty room.

After Hijikata closed the _shouji_ to his room, he let out a deep sigh, running a hand through his hair.

Okita Sougo would definitely kill him when he gets back.

* * *

_But everyone was persistent. Among all of us, Otae-san was the most vocal person regarding your match, and in no time at all, Kondo-san was convinced that Toushirou-san wouldn't suit Kagura-chan. Our days in preparing for this were numbered, and we knew we had to act quickly. I had to go to Edo and meet Kagura-chan myself, and had been on my way to meet her when some yakuza members harassed me. As if fate had intervened, she had appeared before me and began to beat up all of them. I knew it was Kagura-chan when I saw the umbrella on her hands, and the clothing that she wore. The first time I met her, I knew that she was the one for you, Sou-chan. _

_~Mitsuba's letter to Sougo_

Sougo couldn't believe the words that came out of her mouth.

Why the hell was up with her line of thinking?

Not only was he angered by the fact that she didn't believe him up until now, but he was _slightly_ disappointed with the way she doubted him. But then again, now that he thought about it, she had reason to doubt him but still…

They had already slept together. _Twice_, even. What the hell was she saying now about getting back at Hijikata?

And why the hell would he think of that guy during his honeymoon anyway? Not only was it disgusting, but he was on the verge of breaking out into hives just thinking of the possibility of himself _thinking_ about Hijikata. On his damn honeymoon even!

Trust China to complicate matters further.

"You really are stupid and dense."

"Hey!" she protested, glaring back at him, only to falter when she saw the serious look on his face.

"Shut up and listen, 'cause I'm not repeating this _ever again_." He took her hands to hold it close to him while staring intently at her eyes. "You understand?"

He said it so seriously that she was too at lost for words. She managed a nod instead.

"I won't say those three stupid words 'cause I think they're empty promises." Just when the vermillion-haired Yato was about to protest, he silenced her with a glare. "But I'm not the type of guy who sleeps around just because he can, and wants to. I have standards, you know." He said the last statement so arrogantly that Kagura nearly rolled her eyes in disgust.

"I'll have you know that you're the only girl I slept with."

She looked at him intently, surprised by his sudden confession. He, the resident _bishounen_ of the Shinsengumi, was a cherry boy until yesterday? Kagura found it odd, since she had this notion of him as some secret man-whore who slept with women just because he could. The revelation had sent some calm in her currently frantic nerves.

"And that's saying something, China."

'… _What the hell, sadist.'_

Immediately, she sat up to throw a punch straight at his face with her left hand that she had managed to free from his grasp. At the same time, he sat up as well, dodging the powerful punch that she managed to deliver. Kagura nearly gasped when he had her pinned down on her stomach, his hands at the back of her shoulders, restraining her. His legs, on the other hand, had trapped her thighs.

"Knew you'd go berserk." He said smugly, his blood red eyes gleaming with desire. "Which is fine, 'cause you just fell for it. Bend your knees and raise your hips."

Suddenly, Kagura felt nervous. "What the hell are you planning?!"

She nearly sensed him rolling his eyes. "Yeah, seems like my wife really needs to get… _educated_." With this, he bent down to run kisses down her back.

Her heart had immediately skipped a beat. Him calling her 'my wife' still hadn't sunk it, but pain suddenly coursed through her body as he grabbed both her wrists and pinned it to her sides, gripping on it tightly. Kagura yelped a. "S-stop it…! It hurts!"

"You're a Yato. You can overpower me anytime you want, yet you're not struggling." He tsked. "Don't tell me you actually like this…"

"Don't be ridiculous! I'm not a Do-M, you idiot!" she growled at him, but failed to suppress the moan that escaped her lips when she felt something poke her backside. "T-tch, s-sadist."

"I already told you to raise your hips. _Do it_." He said in an authoritative voice. Rather than risk another argument and get involved in his sadistic whims, she obeyed.

Kagura wondered vaguely if all of this was a blessing or a curse.

By midnight, it would be her birthday and she would be seventeen.

'_I wonder if he knows…'_

"By the way, China…" he licked her cheek.

"W-what now, sadist?" she asked him angrily.

"Enjoy your birthday gift from me."

* * *

_I was more convinced to make sure that you and Kagura-chan would end up together, not because of Toushirou-san, but I wanted you to be happy. I had sensed that you would also be against the match, had you known it sooner, and that you would do just about _anything_ to make sure that they wouldn't get together. You're stubborn, selfish and very possessive, Sou-chan_. _You wouldn't let this opportunity pass by easily, and that you'll do anything to anger Toushirou-san, even if it means marrying Kagura-chan._

_~Mitsuba's letter to Sougo_

Hours later, at one in the morning while her husband slept beside her, tired beyond belief, Kagura stared at the ceiling. The puzzled look that she had been sporting for the past few days was now replaced by contentment.

Suddenly, everything seemed so clear.

Despite Sougo not being able to clearly convey his thoughts and feelings verbally, through his actions, she felt it. Kagura blushed a bright red at the thought of their earlier acts, but knew that all of those were done because both of them wanted it. It was not one-sided anymore, but a mutually-consented act filled with so much passion that she had wondered if this was still a dream.

Never had she thought of the day wherein she would be willing to get stuck with Okita Sougo, the man who had tormented her ever since she first met him. Divorce was an option in this day and age [1], but it was him who was vehemently against it. When she asked why, he said it was because it would be a pain in the ass to do the paperwork, and that he didn't want to add more stress to his very carefree living.

He got a punch in the arm as a reply, and thankfully, nothing was broken.

While he slept, she managed to connect the dots.

As to why Gin-chan didn't openly oppose her 'betrothal' to Hijikata.

As to why Shinpachi had accompanied her during her visits to the Shinsengumi compound.

As to why _anego_ hadn't given her any advice on how to break the betrothal.

All of them had set her up with Sougo, and she didn't know whether to be thankful or be pissed with their meddling. Sure, it ended well, but fact remains that they had manipulated her just so she would get together with him.

"Can't sleep?"

Her husband was awake again, and was now looking at her with sleepy eyes. "I was just… thinking about the whole situation."

"What did _nee-san _[2] and the others planned anyway?" he asked, yawning a bit.

"I realized why Gin-chan never really objected to the old betrothal, on why Shinpachi insisted on always accompanying me to the compound last week, and why _anego_ didn't tell me to break out of it." She swallowed before continuing. "Gin-chan was working with Gorilla with the paperwork and everything else, while Shinpachi was making sure that I wouldn't sneak out and wander off somewhere while Gin-chan was registering our marriage. Mayora, it seems, was cooperating with Shinpachi to make sure I just stay in the compound."

"So that's probably another reason why _aneue_ dragged me to every restaurant in Edo." He stated. "And what about _nee-san_?"

"_Anego_ had faith that you would do something about this whole situation."

"And what if I didn't?" he challenged her.

"You wouldn't allow it. Micchan said in the letter that you're selfish, possessive, and you hate Mayora so much that you wouldn't let this opportunity pass by. She also said that you would do _anything_ just to piss him off, even… even steal me away from him and then marry me."

Everything suddenly made sense about her doubting him and his intentions with her.

"Aren't we past that?" he said gruffly.

"I was just stating what Micchan revealed." She pouted. "I know now."

"Good." In an un-Sougo-like gesture, he wrapped his arms around her and _snuggled_ against her neck. "Now shut up and sleep."

"Not sleepy." She said quickly. "Maybe I should just keep on talking until I feel sleepy."

She didn't wait for a reply before she started babbling.

"You know, if someone told me I'd get together with you, I would've probably kicked their asses so hard." She began.

He snorted in response, but didn't open his eyes.

"'Cause really, you're such a meanie; why should I choose a guy who keeps on picking fights with me? Sure, you've got the looks, but your personality sucks ass." She yelped when Sougo bit down on her neck in retaliation. "Ouch, what the hell?!"

When there was no response, she rolled her eyes and continued. "So anyway, despite all your faults, guess I have no choice but to accept the fact that I'm married to a sadist who will probably make my life hell in the near future." At this, she coughed for a bit. "Ah, well. I'm probably some kind of masochist for getting myself into this—" at this, she felt him hug her tighter than before, and she planted a quick kiss on his forehead.

"Also, today's supposed to be the wedding ceremony night. Bet they're celebrating there for us, or something." Kagura stared at the top of Sougo's head. "I wonder… what if you've just let me marry Mayora—"

"… Then he'll probably wait until the very last moment, then proceed to embarrass me 'cause from the start, you and I have been married. The asshole stole my seal." There was anger in his tone, and Kagura rubbed her hands behind his back.

"Now, now, calm down. I was just wondering out loud." She cooed, which he found totally adorable, but she didn't have to know that.

"Yeah, whatever. Go to sleep." He said.

"Greet me again!" she pleaded.

"Happy birthday." He said automatically. "Go to sleep, damn it."

"Hey, waddya know. I'm still not sleepy."

"Then go do something." He mumbled.

She quickly dived under the blankets.

* * *

On the final day of Sougo's vacation leave, they had set out for the two hour drive back to Edo. Since Kagura had no change of clothes during the time they were at Bushu, the couple had spent daytime buying the clothes that she needed to use for the whole two weeks. Right now, she was dressed in a red _qipao_ that Sougo had bought her. Her hair was tied in a high ponytail to make it look neat, as well as to disguise the fact that it had been a mess because of certain activities that they had been doing since morning.

"I still don't wanna go back." Kagura muttered as she sat in the passenger seat, pouting over the fact that real life was calling.

"I need to work, idiot." He said in a deadpan voice that made her roll her eyes. "You can stay at home and be lazy."

"No way. I'm still working for the Yorozuya! Gin-chan and Shinpachi still need me! And Sadaharu too!" she whined.

"China, maybe you should consider the fact that in a few months' time, you'll need to take it easy." He remarked.

"And why is that?"

At this, he flashed her a smug smile. "You think that two weeks' worth of honeymoon isn't gonna have any _physical_ effect on you?"

"What the hell are you saying? My heart is back to normal, and it's immune to you already!" two weeks of staying with him was utter chaos, unless it was nighttime… or when he was in a really good mood.

"Idiot. I meant this." He reached out to touch her belly.

"… Oh." She said before sticking out her tongue at him. "Obviously, sadist, no, I don't know what you mean."

Okita's face turned dark, and without warning, the Shinsengumi captain suddenly veered to the left side of the road and parked there. "W-what the hell…?! Why did you stop all of a sudden?!"

"China… you really are an idiot." He grabbed the back of her neck to pull her towards him for a hard kiss on the mouth. He used his tongue to prod her to open her mouth, and when she did, he gently sucked on her tongue. "Two weeks, and you still have that innocence in you." Sougo said, shaking his head after they broke apart.

"Ha?" she gave him a puzzled look.

He shook his head in dismay. "You'll find out soon enough."

* * *

They had arrived in the Shinsengumi compound early afternoon where, to the couple's surprise, everyone was waiting for them. The main dining hall of the compound showed remnants of some kind of celebration from last night, for the rank-and-file were cleaning the place. When they stepped out of the car, Kagura immediately ran to hug both Mitsuba and Otae, lifting both of them easily and spinning them around. "I missed you two!"

"K-Kagura-chan, put us down first." Otae said, and the younger girl complied, grinning at them.

"Sorry. Two weeks with that guy, and everything gets boring." She huffed.

"Now, now, you've hurt my feelings." The first division captain of the Shinsengumi, clad in the clothes he wore when he left the compound, snaked his arm around Kagura's shoulder and squeezed both her cheeks with his fingers and thumb to make her face look adoringly weird. "I'll have you know that I can arrest you for that."

She swatted his hand away and glared at him.

Okita ignored her and eyed all of them. "_Aneue_. China wants to talk to you. _Privately_."

Immediately, Mitsuba lowered her gaze to the ground.

* * *

Kagura and her had been led to one of the private rooms used by members of the Shinsengumi with the rank of captain and above, while the room adjacent to theirs was the dining room where the feast was held in honor of the newly-weds.

Despite the jolly atmosphere in the other room and Hijikata's reassurances that everything will be fine, Mitsuba was scared. For all she knew, it would just be a façade that she had put on before she would start yelling. After all, everything, from the _jitsu-in_ stealing to the gentle push she did for Sougo, was part of her plan just to get the two of them together.

Call her selfish, but the unspoken reason for the push was because she was afraid to lose Hijikata Toushirou.

Mitsuba felt like she won, but it was a hollow victory.

Sougo was probably angry at her, Kagura-chan even more so, but Mitsuba knew that if she didn't give them the necessary push, they would end up miserable and sad. Their prides knew no heights, and they would both deny everything to death if forced to confession.

It was cunning and stealth that she used to force them to own up, as well as the cooperation of others. She even surprised herself when she had managed to pull it off nearly by herself.

"_Aneue_." Kagura called out.

She looked up.

"Are you alright?" concern was evident in the younger girl's tone, and she nodded quickly.

"I'm okay." She mumbled.

"I'll just get to the point. You look like you wanna poop right now."

As much as Mitsuba wanted to laugh at Kagura's crassness that was a trademark of hers, she was too nervous to say anything out loud, so she just nodded in response.

"To be honest, I'm not angry with what you did. I'm… confused, 'cause you've just met me recently, yet you decided to pair me up with… _him_." She said slowly, still not yet used to calling him by his name. "I know that matchmakers should know both the couple very well… but we only met when I saved you from the _yakuza_."

Mitsuba smiled mischievously. "Kagura-chan, you think Sou-chan wouldn't _write_ about you?"

The younger girl's eyes widened at the revelation. "H-he did what?!"

"It was just bits and pieces, but I knew something was up when he told me that there was a certain Amanto who didn't respect his authority and would even pick fights with him. I got worried, so I contacted Kondo-san, and he said that there was nothing to worry about." She explained. "What surprised me was that the Amanto in the letter was about you."

"… I see." Kagura couldn't keep the surprise in her voice. "But how did you know it was me…?"

"Not long after, he started referring to the Amanto as 'she', then it turned into 'China'." She chuckled. "He calls you that, right?" at her nod, Mitsuba smiled wider.

"B-but… why me and him? W-what are the odds that… that…" at this, she swallowed. "That him and I aren't gonna have a, umm, bad end?"

"If Sou-chan gets into something, he'll follow through with it until the very end."

Okita Mitsuba's words were simple, yet it had struck her to the very core. _Aneue_ did have a point, and her husband had proven it by being the one who said that leaving her was the farthest thing on his mind, all because the paperwork would be a hassle. That, and he had been… _demonstrative_ of his affections of her. Willing herself to not think of their honeymoon nights as it tended to distract her, she nodded. "W-well, if _aneue_ says so…"

Immediately after she said the word 'aneue', Mitsuba quickly pulled her into a hug. "I'm so sorry for everything…! The deception, the manipulation—"

"It's okay… I-I mean, it had been easier for me to be more… honest with Sougo. I-I mean, _him_." She stammered, face turning as red as the _qipao_ she was wearing. "Y-you kinda helped me out…"

Mitsuba grinned wider. "I'm happy that you and Sou-chan got together, and I'm also glad to have you as my little sister. Welcome to the family, Kagura-chan."

To her surprise, Kagura felt tears running down her cheeks, surprisingly her greatly. She wasn't the emotional type, yet when Mitsuba called her 'little sister', she started crying. She may have lost Kamui, but Mitsuba was more than willing to accommodate her in her life because she was now family.

Suddenly, it wasn't so bad being Okita Kagura anymore.

* * *

"_Aneue_." He bowed respectfully to the older sister who was standing right in front of him.

It had been an hour since the two women had their talk, and Kagura had left the room crying. Immediately, her Yorozuya family, as well as Shimura Otae, had gone immediately at her side. Concerned that his older sister had managed to reduce his physically and emotionally strong partner-in-crime to tears, he went over to the room, shut the _shouji_ and bowed low.

"O-oh! Sou-chan, you're here." Mitsuba knew that even if Kagura had forgiven her, Sougo may have not, despite the assurances from the vice-commander. Immediately, she started fiddling with her hands.

"_Aneue_, don't be scared. I'm not angry." He sighed, then scratched his head. "I'm still trying to figure out how you managed to convince Kondo-san to go through all of these."

"… It was Kondo-san and Toushirou-san's idea to set you up with Kagura-chan, but since you didn't budge, we had to take drastic measures." She gave him an apologetic look. "I'm so sorry for manipulating you—"

He shook his head. "I'm grateful."

Her blood red eyes, much like his own, widened in surprise. "Grateful…?" if there was one thing that she didn't expect from her brother, it was that he was _grateful_.

"Yeah. At least it saved me the hassle of having to confess to China." He said it so directly and with such a straight face that Mitsuba tried hard not to laugh out loud.

Her younger brother, it seems, wasn't all that confident, especially when it came to the female member of the Yorozuya. "Well, you're very welcome."

He bowed once again to her. "Thank you very much for everything, _aneue_." He said sincerely. "I am in your debt."

"Ah, yes, before I forget… your hand." When her brother held out his hand, she placed a small object on his palm. "Your _jitsu -in_."

"Thank you." He bowed once more.

"I've thought about it for a bit, Sou-chan, and I know how you can pay your debt to me." She smiled at him.

"Oh. How, _aneue_?"

"When will my nephew or niece arrive?"

He nearly fell down from shock at the request, but quickly recovered. It was unusual, but not strange. What did newly-weds do for two weeks, anyway? Stare at each other? He wasn't the type to hold back anyway. "We'll tell you immediately. Right now… well, I can't say." His sister didn't have to know the full story about his sex life. It was his and China's secret alone. "But we'll see."

"Of course." Was the diplomatic response of his sister. "I can't wait, Sou-chan!"

He couldn't wait either. That was his favorite activity with China right now anyway.

Okita Sougo didn't mind trying over and over again.

* * *

At the exact same time the Okita siblings were having a talk, the Yorozuya, Otae and the top two leaders of the Shinsengumi had their own talk with the female Yato. As soon as they saw her crying, Gintoki and Shinpachi had rushed to her side. "Oi, you alright? Why the hell are you crying?" Gintoki asked.

"Here, tissue." Shinpachi handed her a pack.

"S-she—" at this, Kagura wiped her eyes and nose with the packet that the _jimi_ of the Yorozuya handed her. "She called me her little sister…!"

Otae smiled. "Well, at least she accepted you."

"Mitsuba-dono has always set her sights on having China-san as her sister-in-law, of course!" Kondo interjected happily, and for once, Otae had no snarky insults to say to him. "And Toushi was nice enough to set everything up!"

Ah yes, Hijikata. She had to at least clear that up. She called out to him, and when he looked at her with his usual expression, she spoke up. "No hard feelings, Mayora?"

"None." He replied back. Not that he really cared, since everything had been a farce from the start.

"Good. Take care of _aneue_ for me, will you?" she winked at him, causing him to blush.

"W-what the hell are you saying—" before he could say any more, the Okita siblings walked in. When the demon vice-commander looked at Kagura yet again, she was grinning evilly at him, as if planning something.

Sougo sat beside his wife, who was now wolfing down on the food before her. "Oi China, take it easy. The food won't go anywhere." When he got ignored by his wife, he sighed exasperatedly.

"Kondo-san, China's stuff is in my room, right?" when the commander nodded, Sougo continued. "I was thinking of getting us a house close to the compound so she and I won't bother anyone."

"Oho. Starting early, Sofa-kun?" Gintoki asked.

"It's Sougo. And no, more like I don't want to scare the men with her monstrous appetite and deprive the men of their meals." He said, dodging a pair of chopsticks that nearly struck his eyeballs. "I'm being practical, China. At least my salary is enough to feed your monstrous appetite."

"That's it! OUTSIDE, SADIST!" after setting down her chopsticks, she pulled the first division captain and into the open area where the members did their morning trainings.

She got into her fighting pose.

"No umbrella, China?"

"It's autumn. And think of it as my handicap." It was slightly chilly autumn afternoon, but she paid no attention to it. "Besides, you don't want _aneue_ to see your sadistic tendencies."

He rolled his eyes. "She might have some inkling but—" he blocked a punch that she threw his way using his arm. "Is this a serious fight, or just play time?"

"Serious, of course." At this, she leaned forward to whisper to him. "Loser gets to be at the mercy of the winner. Good luck to us, Sougo."

* * *

Epilogue:

Two months later, all was fine in the Okita household, until that morning, when Okita Kagura burst out of the room she shared with her husband and headed straight to the kitchen. "SADIST! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

Sougo, who was up only an hour before his wife, was calmly sipping his tea, though he looked very sleepy. "So noisy today. What now?" he asked her. She was noisy, he was still sleepy, and he wasn't in the right mood to talk to her.

"I have to tell you something!" she said.

"Can't it wait until later?" he gave her the most boring look he could muster, but Kagura wouldn't be deterred by him. As quickly as she could, she walked over to him, kneeled beside him and slammed a hand against the dining table. The food he had slaved over for an hour all flew upward and slammed against the floor of the dining area.

"… Give me one good reason right now why I shouldn't kick your ass."

She grinned at him in a delightful way that he nearly forgot why he was angry in the first place. "Remember two days ago and yesterday, when I barfed all over the sink?"

"Yeah."

"And when I kept fainting last week?"

"Yeah, the most pathetic state I've seen you in since I've met you." He dodged a punch that went his way.

She continued, ignoring his remark. "I went to the doctor."

"And what did he say? That you're dying?"

"Idiot." she rolled her eyes at him. "He said I'm pregnant."

He blinked. "Oh."

She huffed at his lack of enthusiasm, since she knew he was more eager than her in that aspect. "Okay, fine, you're probably disappointed—" before she could continue her tirade against the sadistic husband, Sougo pulled her towards his lap and gave her a hug. "W-what the…"

"Told you so." He remarked.

"Told me what?"

"That you won't get to work for _danna_ for a while, obviously." He rolled his eyes at her short-term memory. "I said that during our drive back to Edo."

She rolled her eyes at him in response. "You sounded so sure of yourself back then."

"We were at it like rabbits for two weeks." He stated it so calmly that Kagura pulled back from the hug, staring at him like he was deranged. Curiously though, she was blushing.

"W-well, I didn't know, okay?!" she hit him on the chest.

He chuckled. "Don't forget that past two months since we got back to Edo too—" he dodged yet another kick from her. "What? It's true."

"Y-yeah, but stop saying it so casually!" she hissed.

"Fine." He said. "Now go make me breakfast."

"Well, aren't you nice." She gave him a quick peck on the lip before he placed both his hands on her cheeks to kiss her once more on the lips. When he pulled back, he was surprised to see her face flushed and her azure blue eyes begging. "S-Sougo…"

"What?"

"Hurry up…" she said, reaching out to untie the strings of his _hakama_. He frowned at her.

"What the hell are you planning?"

"S-shut up!" she said, yanking the _uwagi_ off his shoulders. "Sit there and do nothing! You're at my mercy now, and I'm staking my claim from our battle two months ago!"

He couldn't complain if this was what she had wanted.

Sougo knew better than to argue with a hormonal, pregnant female Yato, and besides, his amorous wife was making things interesting and spicing up his usually boring life.

He really had to thank _aneue_ for this.

* * *

"Micchan said she'll be here by next week." Kagura spoke up while cooking some fried rice for her now relaxed-looking husband. "Let's meet up with her as soon as we can, okay?"

"That is if Hijikata doesn't get to her before us." He was still sore over the fact that his beloved older sister and Hijikata Toushirou, the man he hated so much, were… _dating_.

It had all started last month, when Mitsuba was just about ready to leave for Bushu. The supposed Shinsengumi member who was to drive her back to Bushu turned out to be Hijikata, and _coincidentally¸_ he was taking a week-long vacation leave. In Bushu, no less.

Everyone had put two and two together, and while most had been happy for them, Sougo's sister complex acted up that it had to take Kagura two days to turn him from Mr. Grumpy to Mr. Sadist. She had also managed to distract him, with the help of Kondo Isao, from rushing to Bushu just so he could beat the crap out of Hijikata. As soon as the week-long vacation was over, the sadistic captain had challenged the vice-commander to a duel.

It was pretty obvious who the victor was, and Sougo spent two full days recovering under his wife's care.

Not that he complained, of course.

China was a pretty decent nurse, and was willing to succumb to his whims, if she wasn't playing the _tsundere_ card.

"Still sore about it?" she teased.

"I try not to care so much." He sighed, knowing that his sister deserved to have a bit of happiness after so many years of being sick and being unable to live the life of a normal woman. If she had decided on Hijikata, so be it, but it didn't mean he approved of the match.

He could still try and get rid of Hijikata using other means… or he could train his son or daughter to discreetly kill him.

"I'm off." He said, poking her tummy after putting on his shoes.

"See you later, sadist. Go home early." She sneaked a bite on his neck where the cravat was covering the skin. "Or else."

"Tch, whatever." He said, stepping out of the door. As soon as he was out of the gate of their house, he let himself smile for a bit.

His sister was alive.

China was his wife.

In a few months' time, his kid would be born.

It sounded so damn cliché, and too much of a soap opera that the people of Edo were addicted to, but who the hell cares. His life, for once, was going the way he wanted, and everything was fine and dandy.

_For once, everything is going my way._

If possible, his smile grew wider, and it wasn't the sarcastic, sadistic smile that he sported but a gentle smile that he rarely projected.

He made a mental note to go home early today.

* * *

[1] Divorce – it was a common thing during the Edo period, so I would assume that even in the Gintama setting, this applies.

[2] _nee-san_ – How Sougo refers to Otae, since she's the de-facto lady boss of the Shinsengumi.

And this story is done. I hope you all enjoyed the final chapter! Feel free to drop me a review or a PM on your thoughts regarding this story, or the ending. To be honest, I struggled to tie the loose ends of the final chapter, but I think I did well. I hope. oTL

I apologize for cutting out some parts, especially the lemon scenes since I am not risking my account. I'll be setting up a tumblr account where it will house the lemons in this story. Please watch out for it!

Thanks for reading!


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